"Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel. The Arab
people want to fight."

The Six-Day War: 40 Years On

The Six-Day War of 1967 was a watershed moment in the history
of Israel and the modern Middle East. In the war, which raged from June
5-June 10, 1967, Israel comprehensively defeated the armies of three
Arab states - Jordan, Egypt and Syria.

The Six-Day War of 1967 was a watershed moment in the history of Israel
and the modern Middle East. In the war, which raged from June 5-June 10,
1967, Israel comprehensively defeated the armies of three Arab states -
Jordan, Egypt and Syria. The capture of the Old City of Jerusalem and the
West Bank enabled Jews once again to pray freely at Judaism’s holy
sites in these areas.

The war also played a vital role in impressing upon the perception of Arab
leaders that Israel was a permanent presence on the Middle Eastern map -
not a temporary aberration soon to be destroyed. The slow recognition of
this fact, along with the acquisition of territories to be used as ‘bargaining
chips’ in negotiations in return for peace and recognition, laid the
basis for the commencement of the Middle East peace process beginning in
the 1970s.

The subsequent peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan thus derive from the
victory of 1967. The war led to the eclipse of the bellicose pan-Arab nationalism
of President Nasser of Egypt and his allies, for whom the destruction of
Israel had been a central goal. Israel’s 1967 victory fired the imaginations
of Jews throughout the world, leading to a greater centrality for Israel
and Zionism in Jewish life.

At the same time, the victory of 1967, and the capture of the West Bank
led to the beginning of the long-standing, agonised debate regarding strategies
for peacemaking which has dominated Israeli politics and policymaking ever
since.

The war led to the capturing by Israel of sites of deep and profound importance
in Jewish history. It also led to the beginning of Israeli administration
over a large, dissatisfied Palestinian population which the State of Israel
could not absorb while retaining its Jewish and democratic character.

Finding the correct formula for maintaining Israel’s Jewish and democratic
character, granting self-government to the Palestinian population of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, and maintaining Israel’s security and deterrent
stance have been key issues facing Israel ever since.

Forty years on, Israel has secured peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan
as well as an interim agreement with the PLO for the administration of the
Palestinian Authority. Diplomatic relations were also established with Mauritania.
The stance established in 1967 of Israel as a country well able to defend
itself if necessary remains solid. Israel has grown exponentially in terms
of its economy and its society. At the same time, the search for a lasting
peace and reconciliation between Israel and the Arab and Islamic worlds
continues.

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